Some of Australia’s biggest medal hopes in the athletics get their campaigns underway on day 10 in Paris.
Queenslander Matthew Denny has kicked off his medal campaign in the men’s discus in sublime fashion, comfortably qualifying for the final after falling less than 5cm short of a medal at the Tokyo Games.
There was dramaatic scenes in the women’s 400m hurdles with Australia’s Alanah Yukich qualifying for the semi-finals after a photo finish produced a dead heat for second in a repechage.
Also in action this evening is pole vault star Nina Kennedy, the reigning world champion – famously sharing gold with America’s Katie Moon – as she begins qualification.
On the men’s side, 2023 world championship bronze medallist Kurtis Marschall is also in action, competing in the pole vault final at 3am AEST.
After the women’s team completed an unbeaten group stage Australia’s men’s water polo team faces Japan, while the Hockeyroos have a golden opportunity to reach the women’s hockey semi-finals as they face China in the quarter-finals.
After seeing her champion sister Jess Fox eliminated in the same heat Noemie Fox continues her women’s kayak cross campaign late tonight.
In Tahiti, Jack Robinson competes in the men’s surfing semi-finals early on Tuesday morning.
Plus there are Aussies in action in the diving, sport climbing, athletics, equestrian, sailing, table tennis and track cycling.
STUNNING DEAD HEAT KEEPS AUSSIE’S DREAM ALIVE
There was stunning drama in the women’s 400m hurdles as an Australian survived her repechage race to reach the semi-finals in a dead heat after a photo finish.
26-year-old Alanah Yukich – a former 400m runner who converted to medals in a stunning late surge to the Olympics – was forced into the repechage after finishing seventh in her heat yesterday.
The Aussie gun was well off the pace halfway through the repechage race but pushed hard to rise into second at the last hurdle. With a stunning late charge, Yukich nearly overtook the leading athlete of Italy, Ayomide Folorunso, but the Italian just held on to win in 55.07s.
Yet Belgium’s Naomi van den Broeck came flying from even further back to threaten the win – or at least claim second and knock the Australian out.
It came down to a photo finish for second, with both athletes finishing in 55.11s.
But in a stunning twist, even a photo (and timing it to the thousandths of a second) couldn’t separate them, with both athletes being awarded a dead heat with an identical time of 55.107s.
Yukich’s time was a personal best, with all three of the top athletes progressing.
But it wasn’t such good news for fellow Australian Sarah Carli, who missed out on the semi-finals after finishing fourth in her repechage in 55.12s.
TOP AUSSIE MEDAL CHANCE REACHES FINAL
Australia’s Matt Denny, who heartbreakingly missed bronze in Tokyo by under 5cm in the men’s discus, is through to the final in Paris.
Denny’s first throw of 64.72m was short of the automatic qualifying mark of 66 metres (though he only needed to finish as one of the top 12 competitors to make the final anyway).
But he became the third man to cross the magic 66m mark with his second throw, launching the discus 66.83m to book his place in the final.
Denny won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 Diamond League suggesting he’s one of the favourites to medal.
The final is on Thursday at 4:25am AEST.
WILD FINISH IN MIXED TRIATHLON RELAY
Australia’s team of Luke Willian, Natalie van Coevorden, Matthew Hauser and Sophie Linn finished in 12th place in the mixed triathlon relay after a thrilling photo finish for second place.
It was a dramatic race as Great Britain lead twice only to be caught up, with Germany’s Laura Lindemann making a move 150m from the finish line and holding off GB’s Beth Potter and USA’s Taylor Knibb.
Knibb and Taylor finished just 0.01s behind the winner, with the USA just edging out the Brits for silver in the photo finish.
Sophie Linn said to Nine: “I think I can speak for the whole team that we expected more from ourselves today… disappointing a little bit, but we did all we could and that’s all we can ask for.”
It’s just the second time the event has been in the Olympics.
She added: “The crowds love it, we love it… you saw the sprint finish, what a way to finish the triathlon in these Olympics.”
But the triathlon was again struck by controversy before the race after numerous racers were forced to pull out due to getting sick from their individual triathlon races last week. A handful of athletes were forced to go to hospital after swimming in the Seine river.
AUSSIES IN ACTION — DAY 10 HIGHLIGHTS
All times AEST
4pm — Triathlon: Mixed Relay (Luke Willian, Natalie van Coevorden, Matthew Hauser and Sophie Linn)
5pm — Shooting: Skeet Mixed Team Qualification (Aislin Jones, Joshua Bell)
6pm — Women’s Diving: 10m Platform Prelims (Melissa Wu and Ellie Cole)
6pm — Women’s Hockey Quarterfinal, Australia vs China (Hockeyroos)
6pm — Men’s Sport Climbing: Boulder & Lead, Semifinal Boulder (Campbell Harrison)
6.10pm — Athletics: Men’s Discus Throw Qualification (Matthew Denny)
6.40pm — Athletics: Women’s Pole Vault Qualification (Nina Kennedy)
6.50pm — Athletics: Women’s 400m Hurdles, Repechage Round (Sarah Carli, Alanah Yukich)
7.55pm — Athletics: Women’s 400m, Round 1 (Ellie Beer)
8.50pm — Athletics: Women’s 200m Repechage Round (Torrie Lewis, Mia Gross)
9.35pm — Men’s Water Polo: Australia vs Japan (Water Polo)
10pm — Equestrian: Jumping Individual Qualifier (Hilary Scott, Thaisa Erwin, Edwina Tops-Alexander)
10.45pm — Men’s Sailing: Dinghy Race 9/10 (Matt Wearn)
11pm — Men’s Table Tennis: Team Round of 16, Australia vs Japan (Finn Luu, Nicholas Lum and Hwan Bae)
11.30pm — Canoe Slalom: Women’s Kayak Cross Quarterfinal (Noemie Fox)
11.52pm — Canoe Slalom: Men’s Kayak Cross Quarterfinal (Timothy Anderson, Tristan Carter)
12.15am — Canoe Slalom: Women’s Kayak Cross Semifinal (Noemie Fox)
12.28am — Canoe Slalom: Men’s Kayak Cross Semifinal (Timothy Anderson, Tristan Carter)
12.55am — Canoe Slalom: Women’s Kayak Cross Final (Noemie Fox)
1am — Canoe Slalom: Men’s Kayak Cross Final (Timothy Anderson, Tristan Carter)
1.27am — Men’s Cycling Track: Team Pursuit, Qualifying (Oliver Bleddyn, Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy and Kelland O’Brien)
3am — Athletics: Men’s Pole Vault Final (Kurtis Marschall)
3.04am — Athletics: Men’s 300m Steeplechase, Round 1 (Ben Buckingham, Matthew Clarke)
3.09am — Men’s Cycling Track: Team Pursuit, Qualifying (Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson and Matthew Glaetzer)
3.30am — Artistic Swimming: Team Technical Routine
3.36am — Men’s Surfing Semifinals, Australia vs Brazil (Jack Robinson)
3.55am — Athletics: Men’s 200m, Round 1 (Caleb Law)
5.15am — Athletics: Women’s 5000m Final (Rose Davies)
6.46am — Men’s Surfing: Final
Source Agencies
